Cupid Wears A Stetson
by notjaneausten
Summary: Rick starts to notice a pattern of behaviour occurring between two members of the group and decides to enlist a certain teenage boy to lend a helping hand… Rated M for language and future content
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Rick Grimes, former Deputy Sheriff of King County, Georgia and now elected leader of a ragtag group of survivors of the recent zombie apocalypse, leant out of the watch tower window to observe a ritual that occurred every time that Daryl Dixon took Carol Peletier out on a raid with him. First Daryl would check that Carol's machete holder was securely fastened to her waist and then he would take his time around her back to make sure that her light crossbow was strapped securely on.

Rick watched as Daryl's hand hovered slightly above Carol's shoulder, almost as if he couldn't decide whether to touch her or not, Rick sighed under his breath as Daryl moved his hand away without making that final contact.

"It's like a strange shadow dance performed without the music – does he even know how many times he does that? Watch how closely they follow each other's movements - they're even starting to walk like each other; pretty soon they'll be talking alike too." Glenn Rhee, Rick's partner on watch, came over to join him at the window.

"I know, Glenn. They do exactly the same thing every time they go out; I can't say that it's just a safety issue with Daryl as I've never seen him do the same thing when he goes out with Michonne, only with Carol."

"Could you imagine him doing that with Tyreese?" Rick chuckled at Glenn's musings and continued to watch the pair preparing for their outing below.

"Do you thing he's even aware that he's never more than an inch away from touching her all of the time? Look how long he hovered about her before he moved away, and that's a man that's none too fond of touching or being touched in return." The pair of them quickly drew their heads back in the window as the objects of their attention passed beneath the watchtower on their way through the complex to the main gate.

"I bet he's never even kissed her; she seems to shy away whenever he gets just that little bit too close…" Glenn watched carefully as Carol did exactly that, shying away when their fingers touched briefly as they walked along. Daryl leant in closer to Carol, pointing out something just outside of the fence. "Ooh look he's trying the classic 'leaning in' pose… she hasn't moved away so maybe she just hasn't noticed just how close he is getting."

"Oh yeah, he's got it bad for Carol alright and she doesn't even know it. I don't envy him, it's going to be a hard road ahead getting Carol to trust him with her heart." Rick shook his head at the thought of the shy, reserved Carol being with a brash redneck like Daryl.

"I think I'd have a tough time too, if I had gone through what she had to put up with from Ed." Glenn remarked having heard from Maggie some of the comments that Ed had directed at his wife when they had been living in a camp just outside of Atlanta. He also remembered the bruising that would appear on her upper arms and neck where Ed had given her a pounding for some insignificant comment she had made one night. After Ed had died and Sophia went missing, Carol seemed to retreat inside herself; feeling that she had nothing to contribute to the group. It had been Daryl that taught her how to take care of herself; giving her the boost she needed to become one of the best amongst the group when it came to hand to hand combat with a knife or machete. Daryl was also teaching her tracking and cross bow skills, which is where they were off to that morning.

"It's like a game of cat and mouse, one false move from him and she's likely to scamper off. What if we've got this all wrong though, and Carol just doesn't see him as more than a friend? I'd hate to think that it's completely one sided on Daryl's part." Rick slumped against the doorframe, suddenly worried that any interference from the group would move the couple further apart rather than becoming what they all were secretly hoping for.

"Rick, it's not your responsibility to make everyone happy – it's enough that you've kept us alive this far. Don't take all of our other baggage on as well. If they are meant to be they will find a way – just like Maggie and I did. It's not as if we can lock them in a cell together…." Glenn tried to reason with Rick, knowing that it was his ability to place responsibility for the protection for the group on his own shoulders that made him such a great leader; but it was probably one of his biggest faults as well as he often set himself impossible goals with no hope of ever achieving them. Rick nodded slowly in acceptance and then suddenly straightened from the doorframe to clasp the young Asian man by the shoulders.

"Glenn, you're a genius! I take back every rotten thing I've ever said about you…Take the rest of my watch for me, will ya? I've got to go and see Hershel about a little problem we're having over in D block…"Rick ran a hand thoughtfully across his chin, musing over the direction his thoughts had taken him in. Yes, it was sneaky and crafty; but it might just work.

"What problem? I haven't heard about any problems…Rick?" Glenn threw a puzzled look at the other man.

"That's because I haven't created one yet. Trust me though, once tonight comes around it's gonna feel mighty damp and chilly over there – might even need to double up in our own block to take in the overflow from D…purely to conserve body heat of course." Rick rubbed his hands together in glee, imaging the chaos that was about to ensue.

"Need any help?" Glenn offered eagerly; wanting to do all that he could to help.

"Nah, I think I'll let Carl take a hand; after all I want to be able to repair the 'problem' aa little later on and I've a feelin' if I let you 'help' we'll all be stuck in C for good!"

"Hey! I got the RV back up and running again, didn't I?" Glenn resented the implication that he was hopeless at anything mechanical. After Dale had been bitten, he and Andrea had managed to get the RV running long enough to help rescue a trapped Rick and Carl from a blazing barn fire at Hershel's farm. Unfortunately they had soon lost the RV and young Jimmy along with it.

"I'm thinking that Carl could arrange a little problem with the drainage over in D and Tyreese should be able to manufacture a fuel line blockage in the generator in our block. We'd have to accommodate everyone currently sleeping in D and it might get a tad cold without any heating tonight…"

"So everyone would need to share a cell, and maybe cosy up underneath a blanket as well. I like your thinking. But how are we gonna get Carol and Daryl to share a cell? She might decide to bunk up with Michonne or Beth instead."

"That's where I need everyone's co-operation. I need you all to give them no other choice BUT to share together. I'm gonna head over to D now and ask Carl to spread a little mischief and get Hershel to start organising the move so that it's all done by the time the two of them get back later." Rick turned around to head for the door and flicked a finger to his brow in salute. "Wish me luck, Glenn."

"Toes and fingers crossed." Glenn replied heartily, he watched Rick cross the courtyard with a little spring in his step. "Watch out Carol, Cupid's on the job now; and I've a feeling that he's not gonna give up easily."


	2. Chapter 2

Daryl first had an inkling that things weren't as they had left it as soon as he and Carol approached the second of the double gates protecting the prison from the possible invasion of Walkers. He peered through the windscreen to try and make sense of what was going on.

"Ain't no sign of Walkers; no one raised the alarm; maybe Rick has them working on some sort of evacuation drill?"

"They all seem to be carrying stuff between buildings. It's unusual to see that many people milling around the courtyard; it's usually empty this time of day." Carol observed people shifting cartons and foodstuffs over from the administration buildings and through to D block. Daryl brought the truck to a rumbling halt next to their other vehicles and opened the door; only to close it again quickly as the stench hit his nostrils; making them twitch involuntarily.

"God Almighty! What the f-?"

"What is it, Daryl?" Carol slid over the bench seat closer to the driver's side.

"Imagine one of 'Lil Ass Kicker's worst nappies…." At Carol's arched look, Daryl continued – "And multiply it by ten… I think that we might have a major sewage incident on our hands."

"Oh, deep joy…" Carol remarked drily and waved her hand for him to stop hiding in the truck and let her out.

Daryl reached around to the truck bed and pulled out a small deer carcass that he and Carol had felled on their hunt. He hefted it onto his shoulder and strode across the courtyard in the direction of the administration buildings where most of their fresh meat was stored in the basement due to its cold, damp air. He could see a frazzled Hershel with a cotton handkerchief across his mouth; issuing instructions at the door. Hershel held up a hand to prevent Daryl from entering the building.

"Sorry, son. I can't let you through."

"What's goin' on, Hershel? I got fresh meat here that's gonna spoil if we don't get it inside soon."

"We've had a little incident with the mains drainage in here and over in 'D'. It's backed up all the way through the building. Tyreese used to work in city maintenance and he thinks it's a blocked pipe." Hershel repeated what Rick had coached him to say; hoping that he had got everything right. It had been tough to get everyone moved over within such a short space of time; but they had just managed it. Moving people back was going to be a little harder; Carl's enthusiasm for creating a little mischief had worked a little too well and they had nearly faced a very real problem with the drains before Tyreese had stepped in to fix it.

"We can't have our fresh food tainted by the smell so Rick ordered that everything perishable was to be stored in D. This means that everybody that currently has a bunk in D has moved over to share our cells in C."

"What about Medical? Can't Dr. S put some people up over there?" Daryl shifted the deer on his shoulder whilst trying to get a hold of the situation. Thinking over what Rick had also said, Hershel put on a pained expression.

"Medical's currently under isolation – not only are we having to deal with a sewage problem but a possible viral outbreak as well. Just after you left this morning, both Carl and Judith started to exhibit signs of what could be stomach flu….I'm sure I don't have to tell you how quickly something like that can spread in such close quarters as we now find ourselves in." Carol stepped forward, her face tight with concern.

"Are they both okay? Does Dr. S need any help?"

"Naw….he's got Bethie over there keepin' an eye on things." Hershel smiled and patted her shoulder. "Now don't you worry about a thing, I'm sure they will be just fine."

"Mebbe I should head in to see whether Rick needs a hand with the repairs." Daryl winced at the thought of wading through ankle deep excrement and prepared to step forward.

"NO!" Hershel met him at the door before he could step through. "Rick and Tyreese have things under control. Luckily Tyreese was able to spot the problem pretty quickly and doesn't reckon it will take too long to sort out…It's just the smell will linger for a few days…no sense in anyone else stinking like a sewer; the two of them are gonna smell pretty bad as it is." In reality, Tyreese and Rick had dealt with the matter of unblocking the drain that Carl had stuffed with litter pretty quickly. However ridding the place of the rotten eggs that Carl had found in the commissary was proving more difficult to deal with. He had been very efficient in spreading the eggs around in an assortment of hiding places; so much so that they weren't entirely sure that they had found all of his stash. The two men were currently sitting on the floor of the administration underneath an open window and trying to stem their laughter at how irate Daryl was getting with poor Hershel. Hershel had been the first person to volunteer in the plan to get Daryl and Carol together. It was he that suggested he act as door warden; after all, he said to Rick, he's not going to go all crazy over an old cripple is he?

"I hope they get it sorted soon, otherwise it's going to get real cozy pretty fast in C with us all double bunking." Carol muttered, shading her eyes with her hand as she looked over at the chaos in the courtyard.

"Why don't you head on over there now, Maggie was dealing with cell assignments; she'll have one of the other woman take that deer off your hands too, Daryl." Hershel ushered them over to the cell block where Maggie was indeed waiting with pleasure to give them the good news.

"Where do you think you're going, Dixon?" She crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot impatiently when Daryl tried to side step her to enter their cell block.

"I figured as I ain't got a cell, I don't have to go through you…I got my perch." Daryl pointed through the block to the area he had claimed for his own when they first moved into the prison. He was adamant that he couldn't stand being cooped up so had taken over the raised platform at the end of the block where it was previously used as a guard watch post.

"Ah….yeah, about that…" Maggie slowly opened the cell block door and gestured down to the platform. Daryl followed her motions with his eyes and felt his heart sink as he saw the mountains of goods piled into his once empty space.

"No, no and Hell no!" Daryl scowled over at Maggie and crossed his arms over his chest to echo Maggie's pose from earlier.

"Don't shoot the messenger, s'all I'm sayin'….We've all got to share, at least for a couple of days. Poor old Daddy's got stuck with David and you know how loudly he snores…" Maggie hid a smile at Daryl's belligerent expression; he looked like a little boy being denied a treat.

"Come on, Daryl. It won't be so bad; it's not as if any of us are strangers anymore." Carol smiled gently over at him, trying to calm the waters. "If Carl's in isolation then you'll probably end up with Rick."

"No, Rick's bunking in with Tyreese; Michonne's got Karen; David's with Daddy…"Maggie ran through the rest of the group, ticking them off with her fingers. Daryl felt his heart sink even further as she came to the end of the list; _no, don't say what I think you're gonna say…._

"Which I'm afraid leaves the two of you bunking together." _Shit, she said it!_

"Is this gonna be a problem with you, Dixon?" When neither of them responsed, Maggie poked Daryl in the arm. "Hello, earth to Daryl…I said, is this gonna be a problem with you, Daryl?"

"No, no problem." Daryl's voice felt strangled in his throat and he coughed to try and ease the restriction; feeling oddly like running a hand around his neck to loosen a too tight necktie.

"Good, Carol you okay with this? Not that you have a lot of choice in the matter, there's nowhere else to put you anyway." Maggie looked over to check with Carol, only to see the other woman calmly taking everything in her stride.

"I take it that I…we're… in my old cell?" Carol hesitated slightly when asking the question, it felt odd to change from an 'I' to a 'we' in the matter of minutes. At Maggie's nod, Carol quietly moved in that direction.

"What bug's crawled up her ass?" remarked David snidely, having overheard the tail end of their conversation and noticing Carol's suddenly quiet behaviour. Daryl whirled quickly around and shoved the other man back.

"You watch what you say about the lady…you get my meanin'?"

"Yeah….well she doesn't seem too pleased to be having you as her cell mate….I'd be glad to trade with…..Ooofff!" Daryl's fist in his mouth, prevented David from making the last part of his sentence heard. Daryl brought his fist back and shook it to loosen his knuckles.

"You were sayin'…?" He asked the other man quietly, deadly menace colouring his tone.

"Nothing, man, absolutely nothing." David wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and looked over to where Carol was placing her rucksack down on the bunk in her cell a little further along the corridor. He nodded his head once and spun on his heel to return back to the cell he was to be sharing with Hershel.


	3. Chapter 3

Sharing a small two bedroomed shack with Merle for most of their adult lives had not prepared Daryl for what it would be like sharing a small eight by six cell with a member of the female sex. With Merle they had walked in on each other undressing or in the bathroom and hadn't made a speck of difference in their relationship. When Daryl opened his eyes the morning after he had moved into Carol's cell it was to see her smooth naked form almost right in front of where he was laying in the top bunk. He closed his eyes tightly shut as Carol bent over to remove some clean clothes from her rucksack; but couldn't prevent a small gasp from escaping at the sight of her small but perfectly formed breasts swaying as she shimmied into a skinny tank top.

Carol whirled around at the slight sound, pressing a hand against her mouth in dismay. "God! Daryl I am so sorry! I completely forgot that you were even there!" She bent back down to her rucksack and removed a pair of cargo pants and fumbled to pull them on over her bare legs.

"'S okay – I should probably take is as a compliment or something…it's just shows that we're comfortable enough around each other not to get weirded out by sharing a cell." Daryl kept his eyes closed and voice deliberately even so that Carol wouldn't be able to tell just how much the brief sight of her naked had affected him.

"You can open your eyes now, I'm decent." Carol announced and sat on her bunk to pull on her socks. She paused as she thought she heard him mutter something that sounded a lot like: '_That's a pity…' _ Carol shook her head at the thought; _ foolish nonsense, as if anyone would get excited over seeing your wobbly bits these days; they're not exactly plump and perky anymore – not that they were __**that**__ amazing to begin with. _"I'll let you get dressed in private, see you in a bit." Carol kept her back to the bunks and carefully sidled past where Daryl was now sitting with his legs about to swing over the sides.

"I kept my boxer's on; so not exactly naked here…No need to act so shy around me; it's not as if you haven't seen me half naked before." Carol could hear the amusement in Daryl's voice and so she turned to face him and leant against the doorway of the cell.

"Well you were half conscious at the time; so I don't think that quite counts."

"Completely conscious now, Sweets…" Daryl opened his arms wide and waggled his eyebrows up and down suggestively. Carol blushed furiously and spun around on her heels, gobsmacked at his suddenly openly flirtatious behaviour.

"I think I need to..ah…to…" Carol couldn't think of anything to say and so settled for just waving her hand in goodbye and leaving the cell. "Hah! Caught you lookin' anyway!" Daryl whistled between his teeth as he hopped down from the bunk to get dressed. He rummaged around in his duffel for a clean pair and gave a jubilant laugh when he came across his last clean pair. Daryl dropped his boxers and had just leant down to pick them up to fold them into his dirty laundry pile when he heard a strangled gasp coming from behind him. He half turned around, still holding onto the dirty shorts to find Carol standing in the doorway, mouth wide open with shock.

She had returned to the cell after getting halfway down the block and realising that she had pulled on her socks but forgotten to put her hiking boots on. Upon reaching the cell door she was just about to step through when she was greeted by the sight of a firmly toned set of naked buttocks right in front of her eyes.

"I…err…I…" Carol coughed to clear her suddenly dry throat. "Um…Superman pants, Daryl?" Carol tore her gaze away from the most amazingly toned body she had ever seen and tried to focus on something else…anything else. Unfortunately all she could focus on were Daryl's choice of boxer shorts. Daryl didn't seem fazed by her arrival in the slightest, he merely dropped the dirty shorts onto the floor of the cell and pulled on the clean pair; he kept his back to Carol all the while and she nearly groaned aloud in disappointment as his firm globes were hidden from view as he pulled the shorts up and snapped the elastic waistband into place to ride low on his hips. He turned around to face Carol and slowly moved his arm around toward her. Carol swallowed hard and inwardly cursed as she realised that he wasn't moving his arm toward her as such; he was just reaching out to where his pants were hanging over the edge of the bed.

"I forgot my boots…." Carol thought that she would just point out why she had returned to the cell so soon after stating that she would give him some privacy.

"Uh huh….so it **wasn't** just to see me naked?" Daryl shook his head in mock disappointment, "Really, Carol that excuse shows that you have absolutely no imagination… You could have just said: 'Ooh Daryl, I'm thinking of getting a tattoo...'" Daryl mimicked a high breathy tone and then changed to a smooth husky drawl "I could have said that I have the perfect one on my ass that I would be glad to show you."

"No really, I forgot my boots." Carol bent down to retrieve her boots from under the cot and waved them over.

"Oh…I see; not an excuse to see me naked then. Think I'm a little disappointed now." Daryl pulled a sleeveless black shirt already buttoned up over his head and sat next to Carol on the bottom bunk to pull on his own boots. Carol leant over to pat him on the back.

"Never mind, Pookie; we're even now – you've had a flash of my boobs and I've got an eyeful of your butt…." She rose from the bunk and strode over to the doorway before pausing to throw a comment over her shoulder. "Oh, and by the way – you don't have a tattoo on your butt!"


	4. Chapter 4

Carol followed the sounds of muffled laughter down the corridor to where it led to the room formerly used as the prison's commissary; as soon as she stepped through the door the laughter dwindled down to muttered conversations. She walked past the small table where Karen was sitting with David and Tyreese and felt the heat of David's stare between her shoulder blades. She turned back to face him;

"Have you got something that you want to get off your chest, David?" David was startled at her forthright question and sat back in his chair a little lost for words.

When Rick and Glenn had suddenly announced to the group that they were planning this whole charade to bring the small widow woman and the taciturn hunter together, they had explained that Carol was far too shy to make the first move herself and Daryl was never going to push her into something that she wasn't ready for. David was not best pleased about being turned out of his private cell to share with the old Greene man and felt that if the pair of them hadn't paired up after being out on the road together for so long; then this little set up wasn't likely to change things now.

He hadn't meant to stare at Carol the way he had; put it down to a sleepless night sharing a cell with an almost complete stranger. Carol had walked in just as he was wondering how long Rick was expecting to stay paired up and grimacing at the thought of spending yet another sleepless night listening to Hershel twist and turn on the bunk below him. She whirled around to face him and strode over to lean her hands on the table. Carol was feeling flustered over Daryl's suddenly flirtatious behaviour and poor David took the brunt of her confusion; she didn't know why she took it out on him but he was a handy target.

"Um, no problem Carol…"

"Are you sure about that?" Carol leant in closer, narrowing her eyes at the way the younger man almost squirmed against the back of the chair. _This was shy, little Carol? Shy, my ass!_

"Is there a problem here, people? Everything okay, Carol?" Daryl strolled into the commissary and noticed the way Carol was leaning aggressively onto David's table. He made his way over to Carol and placed a hand in the small of Carol's back, feeling the tension tightening her small frame. "Settle down, tiger." David saw Carol relax against Daryl's hand and watched the tension drain out of her face. _Hmmm, maybe Rick was not so far off the mark, after all. This could get interesting. _

"Everything's fine, Daryl…or it will be as soon as this asshole tells me why his eyes were shooting daggers in my back as I walked in." It was Daryl's eyes that narrowed now as he turned those icy blue orbs on poor David.

"You gotta another problem, boy? Didn't we already have this conversation yesterday?"  
"No! I wasn't….Jeez! I….I need to go and…" David scampered out of his chair eager to avoid another bloody lip served up by an angry Dixon.

"Yup, you better run…" Daryl smirked over at the retreating man and turned back to face Karen and Tyreese who were staring open-mouthed at his threat.

"Um, Daryl…David didn't mean anything by it; Carol just happened to walk in when he was saying what a bad night he'd been having sharing with Hershel. He did say that he'd have rather bunked in with you…"

"Yeah…well that's not how he put it yesterday; and I gave him a pop on the lip for it too." Daryl slid into David's vacant seat and pulled Carol down next to him; she turned expectant eyes on him waiting for the rest of the explanation.

"He said that he'd be willin' to trade off…."

"Yeah…probably because he wanted to get in your pants, not Carol's," Karen looked at Daryl's stunned expression and laughed. "Come on, you mean you really couldn't tell that he was **so **hitting on you? Daryl, David's gay and you have been all he has talked about since he got out of Woodbury… I guess that since he figured you hadn't been snapped up already; then you must be gay." Daryl's jaw dropped and Carol reached over with a finger to close it with a snap.

"Careful, Pookie – you might catch a fly."

"Gay…he really thought I was gay?" Daryl shook his head in disbelief and looked at the rest of the small group sitting around the table.

"Must have been the leather vest with no shirt that you were wearing the other day….very Village People!" Glenn's droll remark from behind them had the whole room erupting with laughter, and the tips of Daryl's ears tinged red with embarrassment.

"Aw, Daryl take it as a compliment – David's last boyfriend was a top model in New York and he was a _fine _looking hunk of a man." Karen patted Daryl's hand and his ears turned even redder, if that was at all possible.

_"__Rick, we can work with this…trust me for a minute, okay?" _ Maggie whispered into Rick's ear as she paid attention to what was happening at the other table. She had witnessed Daryl stroking Carol's back just now and how at ease the couple seemed to be together. Something had changed in Daryl's attitude; he would never have touched her in public before today and she sensed that he just needed that little push.

_"__Okay, what did you have in mind?" _Rick whispered back and Maggie shook her head as if to indicate there was no time for explanations right now.

"Rick, didn't you say that David's been asking a lot of questions about Daryl lately? Where he hunts; his watch shifts and where he usually hangs out?" Maggie pitched her voice a little louder to make sure that Daryl could hear her over the rise of giggles and chatter around the room, mentally apologising to David for exaggerating his natural curiosity about the habits of the whole group and giving Rick a swift kick under the table. Luckily, Rick was swift on the uptake and rose from his seat to perch on the edge of Daryl's table and leant forward to dish the dirt.

"Yeah…he mentioned something about always wanting to learn how to handle a bow and that he would really like to take watch with you one night…Sounded right eager when I gave him your shift patterns…" Rick smirked down at Daryl, enjoying watching the other man squirm beneath his gaze. Daryl caught his eye then and recognised the teasing gleam and cuffed Rick on the side of his head in response.

"Cut that out! Jeez, ain't it bad enough already?…I mean I ain't no homophobe but he really thought that I….?"

"Apparently he thought that you were just shy, yeah little Dave has been known to get a little aggressive when he sees something that he wants…I think I saw Mike checking you out too when you were bent over tinkering with the truck the other day…you might find yourself in a tug of war between them if you don't watch out." Karen pursed her lips and tapped them thoughtfully with her index finger, watching as Tyreese slipped away from the table to warn David that his slight case of hero worship had now been blown into a full scale fatal attraction. Luckily David was a romantic at heart and was the easy going sort when he wasn't rattled and would love to think that he could play a part in joining two soul mates together.

"It seems to me son, that your only course of action is to show David that you are well and truly off the market – for men and women. I'm sure we'd have no trouble in finding someone willing to help you out." Hershel gave Daryl this piece of advice as he clumped past them on his crutches, winking at Rick and Maggie over his shoulder.

"Ya mean, I gotta act all loved up and play kissy face with someone in order to get David and this Mike off my back? That ain't my style, Rick – prefer to do my lovin' in private…" Daryl threw a small, crooked smile over in Carol's direction; thinking back over the light flirtation that occurred in their cell earlier that morning. It was her cheeks that turned pink this time and she turned her face away to hide their flush

"Yeah, well if you want to get this thing cleared up you might have to change your style…" Rick hid a smile; he'd caught the little smirk that Daryl aimed at Carol and figured that more than just sleeping had gone on between the two of them in that little cell. "I'll leave you to think about it, you've got second shift this morning so I wouldn't take too long…David may just decide to pay you a friendly visit!" Rick left Daryl thinking on his words and with a quiet motion of his head everyone picked up the signal that it was time to leave the love struck pair alone.

"Don't worry, Pookie. I'll protect you from the big, bad wolf." Carol patted Daryl's hand and found it clasped tightly within his own.

"I may just have to take you up on that."


	5. Chapter 5

Karen left the commissary to go and seek out David to work a little damage control; she found him pacing up and down the cell he shared with Hershel looking more than a little pissed at her.

"Thanks, Karen- that's the last time I tell you anything! How the Hell did me mentioning that Daryl had a fine backside for a straight guy become me wanting him for my prison wife!"

"Now calm down, Dave it's all for a good cause!"

"Do not tell me to calm down! You weren't the one smacked in the mouth yesterday or stared down in the kitchen today. God – why does my mouth run away with me sometimes?" David sat on the lower bunk and stared morosely at his shoes; he had no idea what had made him spurt out that comment about switching bunks with Daryl – he had only meant that Daryl would have been happier bunking in with Hershel and that he would be perfect to share with Carol as she would be in no danger for him; it was only afterwards that he realised that a) the whole point of this was to get Daryl and Carol together and b) Daryl might have thought that he was offering to bunk in with Carol for completely different reasons.

"Oh what a tangled web we weave…" David quoted softly and felt Karen plonk down onto the bunk beside him.

"You should have heard what Glenn said about Daryl wearing that leather vest without a shirt on…." Karen nudged her friend's shoulder hoping to get a smile out of him.  
"Let me guess…village people? God – that's so typical, honestly could you have ever seen me, Mike or Tyler wearing a set up like that?"

"Nah…you're all too metrosexual for that….you were more of the swept back hair, three piece suit kind of guys."

"Yeah, well Tyler was anyway." Tyler had been caught in the first outbreak in New York when David had been home visiting his parents; the last contact they had had was when Tyler left a voicemail on David's phone telling him that he had caught the 'flu bug going around the City – only it hadn't been the 'flu.

"Anyway, are you going to help us get Romeo to make a move on his Juliet? When I left, Hershel was trying to persuade Daryl to get 'someone' to volunteer to play kissy face in public with him to show you that he's not available. We just need you and Mike to be a little bit more…"

"Yeah okay, count me in. But I warn you if he takes another swing at me again…  
"Aw, I won't let him ruin your pretty face, Dave. Promise."

"Okay, where do I start?" Karen told David that Rick had assigned Daryl the second shift on watch and that maybe David should casually drop by to see him. David shook his head.

"That's too obvious…I'll just take a walk with Mike along the fences and let Daryl overhear how his eyes sparkle like Sapphires or that his ass is tight enough to crack walnuts…we don't want to tip our hand too soon otherwise he'll know something is up; he's not that gullible."

"Don't be too sure; Daryl's never let anyone apart from Carol get that close to him, and even then something makes him draw back. He can't seem to fathom why anyone would want to be with him; you or Carol."

"Now that's just sad, a fine man like that ought to be beating the ladies off with a stick…it's those eyes that caught me first – so wise and yet so sad; like they've seen far too much for his soul to handle…" David realised that the conversation had taken a far too serious mood and slapped his thighs as he rose to his feet. "Come on, K-girl; if I'm supposed to be the Glenn Close character in this story then I need to look fabulous! Come and help me choose the perfect outfit in order to get my vamp on. Hurry up! I need to go and collaborate with Mike and give him the skinny on how this thing is gonna go down."

"Do you think he'll play along?" Karen asked as they started to rummage around in David's hastily packed duffle.

"Sure thing, K-girl – that man has always considered himself a bit of a thespian; although I think his tastes run a little on the older side." David pulled out a paisley striped tie and threw it aside in disgust, muttering on how it looked decidedly 'too gay for words.' "No idea how that got in there, it isn't even one of mine. I'm far more Saville Row than East Village."

"Older guys, huh? We'd better tell Hershel to watch out then!"


	6. Chapter 6

Carol could tell that Daryl was getting more and more agitated the longer their shift went on. She finally crossed over and dragged Daryl out to the small platform that ran around the whole guard tower.

"Relax, Daryl! Look, there's no one out here except you, me and the Walkers – although I did think I saw one of them reach out to your ass the other day; and I don't think he wanted to eat it!"

"Ha ha, ya see me laughin' woman. Damn people, stirrin' things up all the time, cain't even leave a man to enjoy his new livin' accommodation in peace…"

"So you were peekin' this morning! Thought so…I'm just so gosh darn irresistible that I have even the harshest of men falling over themselves to worship at my feet." Carol threw out her hands and fluffed up her hair, batting her eyelashes over at him.

"Weren't exactly yer feet that I got an eyeful of…" Daryl admitted gruffly and Carol pushed back the strands of hair that had fallen over his brow.

"Guess we're just gonna have to get used to sleeping with each other…Shit! I didn't mean **sleeping**, that better not be a smirk I see, Daryl Dixon. You knew exactly what I meant!" Carol felt her face turn scarlet and tried to hide it with her shoulder.

"Yeah, but you're so cute when yer all embarrassed…" Daryl nudged her shoulder and she laughed as he had intended.

"Stop…"

"Ain't that my line or somethin'? You say somethin' ta make me go all gooey and then I say staawp?" Daryl deliberately increased his drawl on the last word and Carol collapsed into fits of giggles against his shoulder.

"I really make you go all gooey?"

"Not exactly gooey, if ya get my drift." Daryl nudged his pelvis against her hips, letting her know without words exactly how she made him feel. "Cain't ever seem ta let anyone else get this close, only you woman."

"Oh…So, it's not just that you needed someone to protect you from big, bad David then?"

Daryl scoffed at the idea, "Ain't afraid of that little pipsqueak, naw what I need help with is being able to be around other people without feelin' the need ta close myself off all the time. I want ta be able to walk in the kitchen and sit next ta ya; like Glenn and Maggie, only I'm too much of a pussy to do it…"

"But we're here now, and you don't seem to have a problem with me. I mean, you practically saw me naked this morning and you were fine then too."  
"Hell, woman I was more than just **fine**, if you'd have hung around I might have even done this…" Daryl tipped her chin up with one finger and crushed her mouth under his own; sweeping his tongue past her lips to devour her mouth as if it were the last kiss he might ever get. He only released her when he felt his head go woozy from the need for air, and Carol staggered back and would have fallen if Daryl hadn't reached out a hand to steady her.

"Wow, lethal weapon you've got there, Dixon." Carol shook her head to clear it from the overwhelming sensation of being drenched in Dixon style loving.

"Yeah…? Been storin' all those techniques Merle bragged about, weren't bad was it? Just imagine how good it could be if we were ta practise a little more…" Daryl waggled his eyebrows suggestively and Carol held up a hand to ward him off.

"Whoah, steady there cowboy. Tell me again why you need my help – you got someone you want to get close too in there? One of the ladies from Woodbury or even Beth, perhaps?" Carol's eyes narrowed suspiciously and Daryl loved the idea that she would be even the tiniest bit jealous.

"Naw, only one woman I got my eye on and she's standing right in front of me…I jest need ya ta make me feel more comfortable showin' it around others. I don't wanna have ta sneak around everytime I wanna steal a kiss or two; I wanna be open and honest about it, just don't know how I'm gonna be able ta without losing my shit as soon as someone opens their mouth." Daryl tugged her into his arms and rested his head against her curls, Carol slowly wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed gently.

"Okay, Pookie. Let's take things one step at a time. First we'll finish our shift and then how about we grab some lunch and take it over to the field to eat? Have ourselves a little picnic; that way we can show that we're together but not flashing it all around in their faces. I'll take care of any ribbing that goes on; trust me I have enough dirt on everyone in there for them to think twice about making a dig at my pooh bear."

"Pooh bear? Think I preferred Pookie." Daryl grimaced at her chosen term of endearment and Carol just wrinkled her nose up and pressed a quick kiss to his chin.  
"Yeah, I think Eeyore suits you better."

"Stop."

"Okay, Pookie." Carol agreed and sat on the edge of the platform dangling her legs over the edge; wishing this watch would hurry up and end. She heard voices approach and stood up, rifle poised when she didn't recognise either.

"Mikey, I'm telling you that man's eyes positively glow when he's all riled up! They sent a shiver down my spine and I almost melted on the spot." Carol relaxed when she recognised one of the men as David, the man with his eye on Daryl. He was strolling along the fence line with a man she didn't recognise; both men were wearing pressed slacks and striped shirts with a pastel v-neck sleeveless sweater vest over the top. She leant closer to hear the other man's reply.

"Have you seen his arms when he's holding that crossbow? Oohh, you want something to make you shiver, then that's it for me. Those muscles, the way they flex as they draw back the bow, yummy!"

"Oh, yeah. Totally agree with you on that one." Carol murmured as she continued listening in; they went on to talk about Daryl's fine set of buttocks and the way that he could fill out a pair of cargo pants. "God, you are so right about that one."

"What was that you were mumbling over there?" Daryl strolled over from where he had been watching from the other side of the tower and snorted when he saw the two men wave up at him from where they were standing just beneath the tower.

"Just listening in as David and his friend were describing how hot they think your eyes are; especially when you're all riled up – apparently the sight of your arms flexing that bow is enough to get them all worked up in a tizzy. Don't get me started on what they think of your butt; it was enough to make me blush!" Carol threw a look over her shoulder and winked at the very uncomfortable looking man, peering down at where David and his friend were whistling and trying to capture his attention.

"Shit! What do I do? Do I wave back? Ignore them or what?" His breath caught in his throat as he felt Carol approach him to wrap her arms around his chest.

"Relax, it's only me. Now remember the idea is to make them think that you're off the market –for both sexes. Now lay one on me like you really mean it, and make it look good."

"What kinda like this?" Daryl whipped out his arm and swung her up so that she was plastered over his chest instead of his back and cupped a hand possessively around her firm buttock where her legs were wrapped around his waist. He dipped his head to capture her mouth in a kiss that almost sizzled the air around them. As his tongue flicked out to demand entry, both hands fell to massage her buttocks, squeezing them rhythmically between his palms. Carol moaned at the sensation of his strong hands moving on her and Daryl took the opportunity to brush past her defences completely, thrusting his tongue in and out and making her buck against him in return.

"Eight out of ten!" David whistled and yelled up to the couple on the platform and his voice was the only thing that made Daryl finally lift his head. Keeping his hands securely planted on Carol's behind, he peered over the railing to see David and his friend whistling up in appreciation.

"I'd give you a solid ten, if you were batting for the other team; something that you clearly aren't." David's friend let his gaze lower to where Daryl's body was definitely making its preference known. Daryl smirked down and winked at the other man.

"Jealously will get you nowhere, my friend. Only other one person getting to see my junk and **she's **right here."

"Making promises you can't keep, Dixon. Seems to me that you said something on the top of a bus one night and that hasn't happened either." Carol groused half-heartedly and shifted in his arms, accidentally rubbing herself against his aching manhood and making him groan in response.

"Get a room!" David shouted from below and was greeted by Daryl's middle finger as he carefully stepped back into the tower with his precious cargo and closed the door firmly behind them. An instant later the blinds were drawn shut and a long drawn out moan swiftly followed. "Well, Mike – I think our work here is done." David brushed his hands together and briefly looked up at the tower. "What a waste…" Mike murmured as the moans drifting over from the tower grew louder. "That's a fine specimen of a man she's got up there."  
"Never mind, Mikey. There's someone out there for you, I just know there is."  
"Not for me silly, you know my taste run a little older than that. I was thinking of you, Davie." Mike draped his arm around his friend's shoulders and squeezed in comfort.

"No, it was clear to me the first day I met him, that he only had eyes for the woman up there. Now, we'd better get back to the others and tell them that the change in watch might be a little late. From the sounds of things, they're only just getting started…"

"Yeah, wouldn't want to be the one interrupting that little love fest. My God, could they get any louder?" Mike grimaced as apparently they could; Carol's high pitched screams were soon eclipsed by Daryl's roar which even had the Walkers stirring against the fences.

"Come on, Mike. Think we'd better get out of here before they start on round two."

"Yeah…totally."


End file.
